Aris Integration has announced its intention to move its corporate headquarters to Tucson.

The Scottsdale-based company plans to build a facility that will manufacture a new type of modular energy-efficient building panel, and hire about 600 people by 2017. Positions at the office will include ones in executive management, sales & marketing, quality control, HR, and manufacturing.

Aris plans to develop five more regional manufacturing sites in the country. Although no other specific location was made public, company officials plan to finalize a deal before the end of December 2012. The Tucson facility should be fully operational by the third quarter of next year, according to the Inside Tucson Business.

Duane Armijo, CEO and founder of Aris, said Tucson was chosen as a location mainly for its pool of skilled construction workers, coordinated public-private support and focus on sustainable technologies, according to the Arizona Daily Star. The company also looked at cities including Albuquerque, Las Vegas and El Paso before deciding upon The Old Pueblo.

The publication added that Aris was looking for a facility of about 300,000 square feet, with high ceilings and office space. The company had reportedly been looking at sites near Tucson International Airport, among others. Building its own plant, which is still an option, would cost upwards of $30 million, Armijo said.